We have had awful weather lately with lots of rain most days and it’s a while since I have seen more than one girl at a time have a dust bath. It’s Autumn that has been dust bathing the most. She likes the small space between the wooden blocks and the chicken’s patio.
Then one day last week we had a sunny afternoon. All eight girls were dust bathing at the same time and for quite a long time too. I took some photos to do this post but then got busy and didn’t get round to it so I thought I would do it now.
It was difficult to get a good photo of all eight of them together as three of them were on the other side of the wire so this was the best I could do.
Dust bathing is often a communal thing but usually one or two girls are wandering around “helping”. They will peck at the dust on the girls and scratch around them. This is often Salmon and Storm and then they will dust bath as the first girls start to leave.
So seeing all eight girls at the same time was heart warming. They must have spent nearly an hour dust bathing and they looked so happy.
Since Autumn had her short break in egg laying she has laid another four eggs. I now think she will continue to lay but perhaps not quite as regular as before. It’s enough to give us one or two breakfasts a week. Any eggs are a welcome bonus!
Click here to see the history of my flock.
They look so relaxed doing their dust bathing.
They love dust baths. They almost make a purring sound. You know that dust bathing girls are happy girls.
The weather has been so awful that their normal routines have been disrupted to a large degree – so nice to see them indulging in what they love to do.
I can’t remember when we have had so much rain and it’s been so dark. It is joyful seeing them all in a dust bath.
Hate all the rain – hoping for a nice long dry spell! Two of mine are still laying at the moment – not sure how long they’ll continue.
xx
I too am hating all this rain and also not sure how long egg laying will continue. Every egg is a bonus for both of us. xx